**27. A. N. Potresov — to V. I. Lenin, 9 IX 1902**

September 9, 1902.

I have just received your letter.

Although the semblance of legality which I still retain has some significance for me — I regret that I failed last December to transfer my finances from the state bank abroad and shall do so only this autumn — nevertheless I would probably have agreed to go to Munich*) if you had informed me of this even somewhat in advance — two or three weeks, say — and not at the last moment — four or five days before the Party Congress, when I — given my nature — shall have no time to prepare a speech properly so as not to make a fool of myself, nor to discuss it with you, nor to arrange my Munich appearance in any decent conspiratorial manner and to confer for this purpose with the Genoss'en2), or rather — to arrive in Munich in good time beforehand and, so to speak, having surveyed the position, prepare everything. But now I would have to rush headlong in every respect, and I cannot do that.

If you consider our appearance at the Party Congress so vitally important, then it seems to me — as a last resort, the only possible way out would be: draft the entire speech precisely in London, and entrust its delivery to someone, say one of the Leaguers3). Such a person, of course, will be found both in London and in Zurich (at least the author of the article on the Bund)*).

Well, now I am hurrying to send this letter, and put off the continuation until tomorrow.

All the best.

*) At the Congress of the German Social-Democrats. It appears that *Iskra* approached A. N. Potresov with a proposal similar to that which it addressed to P. B. Axelrod. (See note 1 to letter 26.)
2) Genosse — comrade.
3) Members of the "Foreign League of Russian Revolutionary Social-Democrats."
27. (122).
A. N. POTRESOV — TO V. I. LENIN.

I mention him only because he happened to come to my pen.